Counting Crows
by Crystalline Galux
Summary: Mariah Minx is starting at her new school with her brother, Lee. Unknowingly they will meet enemies and friends, both new and old. Something keeps pulling at Mariah's mind... the act of Counting Crows... [Ray x Mariah][OC x OC][Mild yaoi][Chapter 2 up]
1. The Counting Begins

**Counting Crows**

**Author: FaKe**

**Pairing: Rei/Mao**

**Rating: K+**

**Warnings: Mild Cussing**

**Fandom: Beyblade**

**POV: 3rd person**

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Beyblade or any of it's related characters**

**A/N: Hello, This is using the same sort-of plot as Another day in China, will be focused the same. This is generally the story re-written with different aspects in it.**

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**+ The Counting Begins +**

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The slim, lightly tanned form of a female shifted slightly, the mattress beneath them creaking ever so slightly in their movement, the body twitched and snuggled further into the pale blankets, the cream covers ruffling and dipping in the bends of her body. Mao yawned and tried futilely to clutch at the sleep that was trickling away in a steady river, she groaned slightly and burrowed further beneath her bed covers, attempting to escape the bright white light streaming through the clear window behind her. She frowned and heard the muffled sound of someone walking up the stairs and past her room, she figured that it must be Rai, their parents were rarely up at that time, whatever time that was, the girl pondered inwardly, she had a mild guess but not an accurate one, she thought it may be around seven, it being earlier or later a great possibility.

She lifted her head, the act seeming to sap her energy despite how small it was, she breathed loudly and blinked blearily at her head board merely an inch from her nose, she sniffed and turned in the bed, her eyes sliding closed again to avoid the suns rays. Her pink hair dropped over her face as she turned her head towards the light, her pointed ears picking up the sound of a person walking back towards her room, she prayed they would just go by and not come in to awake her from her non existent sleep. She cursed the morning silently and scoffed lightly under her breath as the person did what she was hoping they wouldn't. Rai smirked slowly, a fang glinting before he shook his head, tanned hands reaching down and gripping the edge of the duvet, his mouth spreading to a grin as he pulled at it violently, whipping it straight off of his sister and into a pile on the wooden floor.

He watched, greatly amused as her left hand fumbled around for the blanket blindly as a shiver slivered through her, the winter air creeping over her and causing goose bumps to form on her exposed thighs and arms, she curled further into herself to try and stay warm, only managing to make the other side of her body cold, she grumbled under her breath before shifting and sitting up, her bright amber eyes narrowed angrily at the boy who was smiling serenely from his spot, she sighed and swung her legs around and off the side of her bet, her bare feet touching the freezing floor, another shiver moving through her. She stood and rubbed her eyes slowly, hearing her brother exit and close the door behind him.

"Why do mornings have to be early so damn early?"

She asked the silent air, her fingers moving to flit through her matted and tangled hair, lithe appendages sliding through the strands and straightening them into a somewhat presentable state, she padded over to her desk and decided against trying to go back to sleep, her mind thoroughly awake by this time. Her hair bobbed a little as she sat down somewhat ungracefully, her thin hands reaching forward to pick up the hairbrush on the wooden surface, her vibrant eyes flitted over the top of the desk, taking in the items and what she needed next after she finished with her hair, a few irritable noises made themselves heard as the brush snagged on a few tough knots in the silky tresses. She placed the brush down and shook her head a little, her soft pink hair now fluffy and light as it draped over her back and shoulders.

She applied a faint layer of black eyeliner and a thin coating of shimmering gold eye shadow, the glittery eye makeup bringing out the colour in her eyes further, not that she needed the enhancement to them, she yawned and got to her feet her legs taking her over to her wardrobe where she proceeded to strip and change into her new school uniform, the white shirt form fitting with three quarter length sleeves, the black skirt short, barely covering any of her legs, she made a noise of irritation as she pulled on the v necked sleeveless sweater, the black matching that of her skirt. She pulled out the remaining items and shut the doors with a quiet slam, it was times like these she was glad for training; one foot rising to allow a black knee high sock to cover it and then the same with the other, flat black shoes with a single strap over the front were slipped on easily over her socked feet, and last but not least, a black tie tied around her throat and tucked under her sweatshirt.

"There! Done, now to go downstairs and shout at Rai for waking me up so early"

She said to herself, apparently not caring that it wasn't really a sane thing to do, she smiled and picked up a sleek black ribbon on her way out, her lithe fingers deftly weaving a tight plait at the base of her neck, the ribbon being tied in her usual fashion, the ends pointing out horizontally, the tips dropping ever so slightly, she hummed as she walked down the wooden stairs, her hand trailing down the banister rail as she went, a smile still painted over her soft lips, the edges curving up slightly in a graceful manner, she jumped down the remaining few steps and walked into the kitchen, sliding her rear onto a stool silently as she watched the black haired boy fight with their toaster, he apparently hadn't really gotten the hang of _all_ modern appliances, she giggled behind her hand quietly, earning herself a narrowed eyed look, she lowered her hands to the table to steeple them on the shiny surface, her thumbs rotating around each other idly as she observed the male, a smile still present, her amusement obvious to anyone who could see her.

"Oh forget it, come on Mao, let's go"

"What, already Rai? But I'm hungry"

"Then you should've gotten up earlier shouldn't you?"

Mao frowned and folded her arms over her ample chest, her mouth moving to mimic his words silently behind his back as he walked her feet following after his, her eyes watching him as he bent to pick up his backpack. She just stuck her leg out as he started out of the house, her limb causing him to trip over and only just catch his balance, she giggled again loudly and picked up her book bag, the smooth brown leather strap fitting easily into her hand as she flew out of the door suddenly and started running down the hill from their house, her upper body turning allowing her to watch Rai as he begrudgingly stood to close and lock their front door, she laughed loudly and waved before facing back forwards again, her legs carrying her speedily into the forest and around the trees, she was glad her legs could keep up with the accumulated speed, it wasn't a nice feeling when your body was trying to keep going from momentum when your legs can't do the same.

She slid to a quiet halt and smiled, her lungs expanding as she took in a very deep breath, her legs crossed over each other as she spun full circle twice over, she hopped up onto a small boulder, her balance only slightly impaired by her current footwear, she smiled to herself and jumped back off the rock, a few small petals and seeds flying and being suspended in the air momentarily from the gust of wind only to get shifted quickly as her legs moved forwards again, her walk more of a hop or skip as she continued to the side, going off the path completely as she headed for a cold clear river.

Mao's soft pink hair and airy black skirt elevated slightly as she dropped to her knees on the grass, her body leaning forwards, her arms bracing her to stop her falling into the liquid. She smiled into the run, her white teeth being reflected back at her in the same light smile, she turned her head slightly, her eyes catching on a small kitten, it's fur a reddish brown with black spots like that of a cheetahs, the feline continued towards her, it's paws thick and large compared to it's legs and it's tail double the length of a normal cat's tail. The girl lifted a hand and waved it in the air slowly at the cat, it's response a sharp nod of the head in greeting before it seated itself, staying in the shadows, it's vividly bright green eyes glowing slightly around the edges.

"Hey Galux"

Mao said simply, her head turning back to the water, she moved to lie on the grass, her arms folded on the floor, her chin on top of them, her eyelids slid down to cover her orbs, her breathing evening out slightly as she relaxed, the muscles in her body releasing their tension and becoming lax. She felt like smiling at that moment, her frame being too relaxed to perform the extremely simple action. She jumped and out of her limp state, her body turning and her eyes focusing on the person above her, she grumbled and got to her feet slowly, a soft yawn being covered by her hand. She took another look at Rai before grabbing her bag again and putting her free hand on her hip, her legs moving into gear to follow him as he walked back to the path were they could walk to school and hopefully arrive in a timely manner as it was their first day.

"Do you think we'll get friends?"

She frowned at his back as he just shrugged, she sighed and slammed the heel of her hand into his right shoulder, he started and looked at her, noting her displeasing look he sighed in an over dramatic fashion and dropped into step beside her, his hands in his black pants pockets. She smiled and wished she had both her arms free so she could fold her arms, she settled for turning the smile into a smug one as she watched him roll his eyes and open his mouth to reply to her verbally, if somewhat reluctantly from being pushed into doing so.

"I don't know, probably, we're not exactly dislikeable are we?"

"Nope, no we're not, well, I'm not, you are!"

She laughed and ducked out to avoid his arm swinging at her head to swipe her up the back of her pink covered cranium, she stuck out her tongue slowly and started walking backwards, having successfully avoided the slap. She hopped wordlessly over a log, her hands clasped behind her back as she continued her trail, not being able to see where she was going but not letting it bother her, after all she could easily manoeuvre without being able to see the floor or anything other people would need to take note of to avoid falling or tripping on anything.

She rotated herself around and stopped to allow Rai to arrive at her side again, she smiled brightly at her brother and they both started their walk again, the trek to their school taking the better part of an hour, the tiring walk proving to be more annoying in the chilled weather of the coldest season, their breaths fogging slightly in the frozen air. They both seemed to blink simultaneously and watch a black bird fly by them with quick movements, it slowed and perched itself atop a tree branch, it's dark eyes finding their forms and watching them, it's scrutinizing gaze cold and unfeeling, Mariah frowned and noted it was just completely solid in colour, it was black and seemed to have a glossy purple sheen, a Crow? Just one… Now how did that rhyme go?

… **One For Sorrow…**

… **Two For Joy…**

… **Three For A Girl…**

… **Four For A Boy…**

… **Five For Silver…**

… **Six For Gold…**

… **Seven For A Secret Never To Be Told…**

… **Eight For A Wish…**

… **Nine For A Kiss…**

… **Ten For A Time Of Joyous Bliss…**


	2. One For Sorrow

**Counting Crows**

**Author: FaKe  
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**Pairing: Rei/Mao Kazuki/Khaeyl (OC/OC) Rating: K+**

**Warnings: Mild Cussing, OC's (Minor), Yaoi (Between OC's only)**

**Fandom: Beyblade**

**POV: 3rd person**

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Beyblade or any of its related characters. I do own Khaeyl Pherehan. Kazuki Tottori belongs to one of my best friends, Aqua Kitty (Becky).**

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**A/N: Hello, This is using the same sort-of plot as another day in China, will be focused the same. This is generally the story re-written with different aspects in it. Sorry if it seems as though I am bashing Salima, it isn't intentional, true, I don't like her, but this is merely meant in Mao's thoughts, not my own. Also if anyone wants to flame the pairing or characters in this, don't bother because I really don't give a damn what you think, if you flame my writing I'll accept it and get better, but really, what will flaming a character or pairing solve? Nothing, it will just show you're immature and closed minded and it will prove you can't read summaries. If you dislike Yaoi; either, ignore the fact it's there or get over it. I am now using Japanese names, not the dubbed ones. The OC's won't be overly major characters I don't think, they just have this much of a starring role in this chapter because it's introductions and all, sorry if OC's annoy anyone, they actually annoy me too in others' stories, how Biased is that? Opinions on our OC's would be great though. Anyone who actually likes the Kazuki/Khaeyl pairing, I'd be very happy to hear it.**

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**Current Mood: Hungry**

**Current Music: 7 Weeks – Gym Class Heroes**

**Current Obsession: Peter Wentz and Hemmingway**

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**+ One For Sorrow +**

**I Want To Hate You Half As Much As I Hate Myself**

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Mao and Rai arrived at school, both their expressions neutral but holding a margin of somewhat nervousness in them, the black haired boy adjusted his bag straps slightly and cleared his throat, unknowingly startling the girl next to him, a dark look being directed at his temple afterwards. He remained oblivious and took a breath quietly, his amber eyes trailing over the bustling students, assessing which seemed friendly and which didn't, which ones might be their friends and ones to be enemies, his sharp eyes caught sight of a boy turning a corner, they looked eerily familiar to him, but he couldn't seem to place it having only seen them for a second.

Mao noticed the confused and thoughtful expression on her companions face and blinked slowly, watching him for a moment before turning back to the many students going around everywhere, she figured Rai would most likely tell her what was up when he figured it out himself, in the meantime the pink haired girl watched as a red haired girl walked along the grass, seemingly trying to flaunt something that wasn't there in the chest region, Mao choked back a laugh and watched as the girl stopped at a long table and leant over it in what she must've thought was a seductive manner, though it only served to make it look as if her rear end were twice it's actual size.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing Rai, doesn't matter"

She grinned unconvincingly and got a slow shrug in response to it, Rai apparently believing her. She let out a slow breath and clasped her hands tightly behind her, the early morning air filling her lungs and leaving her feeling light and refreshed, she looked at the black haired boy and waited for him to realize before sniggering when he jumped and nodded, she mimicked the nod and started walking after him, their destination being the front office, assuming that it was at the front in the first room anyway, if not, well, that would be stupid a name for it wouldn't it?

They walked into the building, the heavy door closing with a bang behind them, the two walked over to the desk to the right of the room, Mao glanced around the area, Rai checking in with the receptionist for the both of them. She noticed there were multiple other students hanging around and wondered if they were new too, then again they were probably just cold and were hiding out from it, there were heaters in the room in convenient places after all, the bright haired girl grinned slightly and looked over the room properly, the walls were painted a sunny yellow and the furniture was a dark wood, possibly mahogany but she couldn't really tell, she looked at the comfy looking chairs settled around a coffee table, the surface of it glass and the furniture cushions a golden tanned colour with dark brown leaf patterns embossed into them. She made a small noise and was glad for the bright warm colours; she doubted the room would be as comforting in winter had it been in shades of white and blue. Her nose twitched and she sneezed suddenly, her hands covering her nose and mouth, her golden eyes opened again and slid over the people who had passed her by, she noted the same red head from before had passed her, she also guessed it was her that was wearing a chokingly large amount of disgusting perfume, she probably thought it was a nice scent, to each their own was the saying though, so she couldn't really let her own opinions influence everything despite not liking the other already.

'Make friends, not enemies'

She said to herself and decided she would do just that and stop judging the girl by her outward appearance, she set a soft smile on her face and started walking, her hand trailing along the wooden border half way up the walls, the dark break was smooth beneath her fingertips, she almost stopped to admire it more but decided against it to carry on after the girl, said person seemed to realize they were being followed and stopped, their hands moving to rest on their hips, she turned and jerked her head to the side to get her following to shift so she could see the person there who she couldn't recognize, catching sight of Mao she seemed to sneer rather nastily before walking forwards, her body stopping a few feet from the other female.

"You got a problem?"

"Um, no, I just wanted to say hello, I guess… I'm new here"

"Yeah, that much is obvious"

She stated as a crude reply before giving Mao a slow once over, her nose wrinkling on one side, showing her displeasure for the fuchsia haired girl, the neko frowned a little and tilted her head to the side, her expression a questioning one, after a few minutes the crimson haired female merely gave her another look over, her pink painted mouth creasing in the corners, she didn't bother to elaborate what was wrong, as Mao had hoped instead she just rose her eyebrows in a way as if to ask why she was still there before turning and continuing on her original path up the reddish brown stairs, her shoes thumping on the wood with each foot fall, all of her posse repeated her sneer and a few other looks before turning on their heels at the same time and walking up after her. Mao frowned slightly and stepped forwards a bit to try and talk to her again but decided against it, the girl was obviously just what Mao had thought her to be, she shook her feather light hair from her eyes and started walking back to the desk her sibling was still at, getting everything they needed was seemingly going to take longer than they had both hoped.

She jumped and rose a brow as she was stopped mid way to her brother, her bright gold eyes blinked and watched the boy behind her blankly, he smiled lightly at her, his silver lip ring glinting in the soft lighting above their heads, she stood and looked him over, not really trusting too many more people straight away, he had black shoulder length hair in layers and his bangs and a little at the sides were dyed a vibrant pink, matching her hair perfectly, his skin was very pale to the point of making him look ill, his lips were white and were pierced with a single silver hoop at the left side of his bottom lip. He had sharp eyes in a pale grey colour; despite the sharpness his face seemed generally soft and friendly from his gentle smile, she shifted her weight and glanced at his clothing, a crisp white button down shirt was partially hidden under what must be a v-neck, sleeveless sweater like her own, a few of the buttons at the top of the shirt unfastened, the gap showing a black and green striped tee beneath it. A black zip up hoodie was covering his upper body and most of the uniform, the zip keeping it closed till his mid chest. There were black fingerless gloves on his hands, well; she assumed they were what she thought, she could only see the ends as most of his hands were being consumed by the black garment.

She flicked her gaze over to another boy by the wall, he was frowning a little, seemingly waiting impatiently for the male in front of her to go back, she looked back at her current company, he had either not noticed or didn't seem to mind it, he was still smiling patiently at her, waiting for her to stop looking him over so he or she could speak, she looked pointedly at him as if to ask him to wait a minute while she finished her assessment. He was wearing black slacks that fell over black leather shoes, maybe boots, possibly mid calf length from the crease in his pants at that point, a white belt was also around his waist, the leather not looping through the hoops for belts, she looked at him again, he smiled a little more pleasantly, assuming she had finished and doing so correctly, he moved his hands into his coat's pockets and tilted his head a little to the right.

"Hello, I'm Khaeyl Pherehan… you're new here right? I saw you talking to Salima, she's a real bitch to put it bluntly… you can safely ignore her and she'll leave you alone, well maybe not, she did give you a rather dirty look so I don't know, I guess you'll find out though, Hm, I don't usually talk this much, oh well, so, can I ask your name?"

"Hey, It's nice to meet you, I think, is it _that_ obvious I'm new? Oh, my name's Mao Chou"

She smiled happily, her pointed fangs shining dully in the yellow lighting, she kept a soft smile and looked at the other boy for a minute, her light amber eyes inquisitive, he followed her stare for a moment before laughing quietly, his head shaking from side to side as they took in the male's appearance, his arms folded, shoulders hunched up against the wall behind him and his head lowered down so he could cast harsh glances at people as they passed. They watched the boy move from the wall a little to turn and interact with a few people who had come in and sat on the couches and chairs comfortably. The boy stood near her smiled tenderly before turning to her again, his eyes holding an amused glint to them.

"Interesting name, if you're wondering who the rather moody Emo over there is, his name is Kazuki Tottori, he's not usually like that but he doesn't like me being away from him when we get the time. Oh… wait, it doesn't bother you, does it?"

He asked her, a hint of worry bound tightly around his tone of voice, his eyes holding a certain amount of query in their depths, she looked at him with a completely blank stare for a moment, confusion slowly slipping into her gaze, she was thoroughly nonplussed by what she had said, her brain apparently working slowly at that moment as she worked to try and figure out why he was worried, she watched him with a frown as his gaze flickered from her to the floor and back, his shoulders sliding down a little and his feet moving nervously, he swallowed thickly and seemed to be getting increasingly nervous, she looked at Kazuki for a second and tensed a little at the overbearing glare that he was directing her way, she still didn't get it, what had he said- Oh… her eyes widened and her hands shot up to fly around nervously on her wrists as if they had minds of their own.

"Ah! No! It doesn't bother me, no! I didn't get it till now! Sorry!"

She apologized as quickly as she could, her attention on Khaeyl again, she was a little afraid of Kazuki and would prefer to apologize to the softer of the two, said male looked up slowly, grey eyes blinking slowly and she blinked back in surprise noting a faint layer of tears had been gathering at the corners of his orbs, he seemed to curse inwardly and lift his hands up to wipe carefully at them past his thick layers of eyeliner and eye shadow, she gasped as the other boy suddenly appeared at their side, he had been silent, as if he had teleported or just glided over, she watched him, still quite nervous, he gave her a slight narrowed eyed look but it was no where near as harsh as the previous one, he sighed silently and slid over to wind his arms gently around Khaeyl's waist, his neck dipping to allow him to speak near silently into the ear of the saddened boy, he merely gave a short nod and leaned heavily into the embrace.

"So, who's the boy you came in with Mao?"

"Uh? Oh… um, my brother, Rai"

Kazuki merely nodded in response to her as the boy in his arms continued to stay against him with his eyes closed, the neko femme would have figured him to be asleep if he wasn't technically standing by himself, but his breath was completely even and his body relaxed to the point of it actually seeming to feign sleep. Said brother walked over to her with his arms full of papers and books, she raised a brow at him and he turned and raised a brow at the two others, earning a glare from one, the other still oblivious, the amber eyed boy bent and put everything on the floor before sorting things into two separate piles, one for him and one for her, by now Khaeyl had opened his eyes slightly to see what was happening, the rustling of papers having disrupted him more than conversation had.

"So, do I get introductions then?"

The newly arrived boy asked, gazing at Mariah questioningly, she missed it however due to her bouncing on the spot for a second and moving her hands in quick gestures from each person and giving names respectively, each person giving the usual charmed to meet you etc, though it was obvious Rai was probably still half asleep and wasn't registering it all completely and Kazuki was less than enthused with meeting so many people, he really wasn't that sociable at all, god only knows how he managed to get Khaeyl as his friend, they were near opposites personality wise. Mariah bent down and scooped up the books and other items into her arms before depositing them in her bag with a displeasing look, she assumed Rai was doing the same from his annoyed groans. They all jumped slightly when the bell sounded, it's sound loud and shrill, two had started significantly more than the others, Mao and Khaeyl both attempted to brush off that and pretend it didn't happen, the boy being cut off by his emo companion tugging hard on his wrist, he shot back a rushed and surprised 'bye' to them before trying to keep up with the other to stand in the corner of the room quietly, their gaze going back to the neko's occasionally as they spoke until they finally embraced tightly, said their goodbyes and parted for class, Mariah thought that maybe Khaeyl had another bout of tears in his eyes but figured she was probably wrong.

Mariah closed her bag for a moment before making a small noise and opening it again, her slim hand shuffling through everything to find her time table again, she filtered silently through the white papers and her brother grabbed her elbow wordlessly and started leading her out of the reception building, his hand moving away when she brought it out triumphantly, slightly annoyed she had been looking in the wrong part as it wasn't even white. Sighing she scanned it and noted her first class was History, fantastic, what a way to start the day, her nose wrinkled delicately and she looked at the black haired boy as he looked over his own. Her head tilted to the right as she noticed his was tinted a faint blue, hers pink, she wondered why they colour coded timetables for male and female students respectively and made a mental note to ask Khaeyl later on, if she could find the male again anyway.

She looked at Rai then explained she was going to go in an attempt to find her class, that way she would avoid being **too** late, that wouldn't be a fun thing. She walked to reception and asked where the room was only to get a polite answer from the woman behind it, telling her that she didn't know. Mao sighed and padded outside, the school was huge, how was she meant to even find her class? She shrieked loudly and turned to face Khaeyl, who had previously had his thin hand atop her shoulder, she blinked and calmed down, one hand pressed to her chest.

"Hi again, I was just wondering what class you had next…"

After explaining that she had History, he tilted his head to the left and asked what room, she answered after checking back with her schedule and he smiled softly, wrapping his fingers gently around her wrist and pulling her behind him somewhat hesitantly, he spoke over his shoulder quietly, telling her that they were in the same History class and that he was taking her to it. She nodded even though he had turned around already, her gaze looked at her surroundings as she walked, there was a light breeze in the air and it was giving her goose bumps along her legs but she tried her best to ignore it, instead favouring the act of mapping the route with her mind, this way at least she'd know the way to History, if nothing else.

She giggled lightly at the thought and ended up stumbling a little over her own feet as the emo let go of her wrist, she blinked and grinned sheepishly, straightening her posture and adjusting the bag on her shoulder. The boy looked as if he might giggle for a second before stopping and becoming blank again; maybe he thought it rude to laugh at that? Well, she supposed it was but really, everyone did that, she pushed the thoughts away and frowned, looking to the right, eyes dancing along a wooden door with a frosted glass panel, she blinked suddenly and followed the boy into the room, he gave her a terribly quick smile before going to his seat in the far back. She pondered a moment over his behaviour before facing the teachers desk and shuffling her way over nervously, History teachers always made her nervous, they were usually always old, snappy, and gave heaps of homework, from what she could see, this man was no different. Then again, she had been wrong before.

She flinched a little as the man slammed something down onto the desk, maybe in order for her to take, she vowed to not put her hands near it till he'd finished for fear of her losing a few fingers. She lifted her gaze to the man and he shooed her impatiently away from him, she swallowed and scooped the books up, walking up to one of the empty seats, grabbing the one that was closest to Khaeyl's vicinity. She felt eyes on her and knew it was lots of people that she didn't know, her stomach was churning in nervousness now that she was on her own, her mind knew that Khaeyl was somewhere behind her but her nerves weren't interested in the thought and were still causing her a lot of nervousness. She looked up as the class started, the teacher started talking in a low drone, she could see it already, she would definitely fall asleep in this class on a warm day, and was fairly glad for it being cold, the air had a sharp edge and would keep her awake.

"Now, can anyone tell me every single one of the effects of the…"

Mao didn't catch any more of the question as she had zoned out, it was boring her already and she had no chance of answering, for some reason she was in this class, which was now known to be an advanced History class, she thought it stupid that she was in an advanced one already when she had only started the school today. She sighed softly and closed her eyes for what she was sure was only a moment until they snapped open again at the end bell, startled; she stood and hurriedly gathered her bag and books before exiting the room wordlessly. She took out her schedule and headed to the right to look for her next class.

Arriving easily she entered, took her books and papers from the teacher, who was surprisingly nice, and took a seat in a chair that she had been told was free, she smiled lightly and stared out of the window while she waited for the rest of the class to arrive. She blinked quickly and looked at the nearby birch tree, there was a sleek bird perched on one of the higher branches, its small black eyes staring into her own amber ones, she frowned, it reminded her of that rhyme again, one for sorrow, or so it would be, it would've been joy had she seen the two at the same time, but unfortunately it would remain as sorrow as long as she continued seeing them one at a time. She turned her gaze to the ground below instead, she was in a class on the second floor, she smiled and saw Rai going across to what she guessed was the Gym, she noticed Khaeyl also walking down there, though he was heading towards the exit, his form slightly slumped and leaning heavily on Kazuki, she frowned, it looked like he was hurt, or something was wrong, that would be the only reasons she could figure for Kazuki's troubled face that was watching the male as they walked, why was Khaeyl's hood up anyway?

She shook her head and tried not to worry, it wasn't any of her business really, and despite them being friends now she really shouldn't ask or wonder too deeply. She moved her eyes and caught sight of Salima; she scowled a little at the red haired female though she wouldn't be able to tell. Mao could tell the girl was shouting to someone across the grounds but it wasn't really obvious who it was from there, the fuchsia haired girl looked over the area anyway, she gasped silently and her mouth opened slightly, she swallowed and watched; a raven haired boy was walking around a few people in his path, his mouth set in a smile and his golden eyes shining. Her mouth formed the words 'Rei', though, to avoid suspicion her voice hadn't spoken, she continued watching the boy was nearing the fiery haired girl, Mao was sure she could feel her stomach dropping.

Her breath hitched and stopped momentarily as she witnessed the event, Rei was leaning towards Salima, they just kept going closer, and why couldn't they stop? She bit her lip lightly and averted her eyes away from the couple as they came together in a kiss. She was sure her heart had shattered inside her chest, the small sharp pieces hitting her ribcage and sending pain through her, she sniffed a little and quietly asked if she could go to the bathroom. She hurried out and found it soon after, glad she had been allowed and that there had been no one in the class, she didn't want any questions, entering the bathroom she went in an empty stall and locked the door, her frame sitting on the closed toilet lid.

She hiccupped and cried silently in the empty bathroom, she wanted to go home but knew that she couldn't on her first day, that wouldn't bode well with anyone, especially not her brother and the elders back home, they would be very disappointed if she didn't finish this day. She slid off the seat and bit back more tears, walking back out and to the sinks, her tan hands resting on the edge of the white basin in front of her, she slid her eyes upwards, she looked a wreck. Taking a breath she turned the cold faucet and ran her hands under the water before cupping them and splashing her face with the chilled liquid to rid her cheeks and eyes of any traces of tears.

She got back to class and went back to her seat, most of the students were now in their chairs and waiting for the lesson to start, she hoped she wasn't the one holding them up, she got a smile from the teacher and relaxed a bit, now knowing she wasn't. Her eyes were slightly blurred as she stared down at her open book, the white paper and black ink bleeding together, she shook her head and rubbed at her eyes to clear them, the typed lettering now sharp enough to read. She realized with a slight bit of malice, that the crow count was right, it had been one for sorrow, and it had been true, she made sure that she would look out for them in the future and try to expect something in advance.

She picked up her pen and finally started to do the work that had been set, she liked this teacher, they were nice, and they taught a subject she didn't really mind doing; English. Her eyes travelled to the door as it opened and she suppressed a violent hiss as Salima entered, instead settling for a dark glare. The girl explained why she was late and Mao knew she was lying about it, she knew the real reason, though wishing she didn't. She continued to send the girl a filthy look, once the others' dark grey eyes caught it, she returned the look. The neko-jin faced her work again and got back to it, trying to completely ignore the fact that Salima was even alive. At the end of class she packed her things away and moved out of the room, getting pulled back by her jersey, she frowned and turned, Salima was glaring darkly at her and brushing her hand against the wall slowly as if touching Mao's clothes had given her germs.

"Yes?"

"Don't 'yes?' me, what on earth is your deal?"

Mao shrugged lightly and started walking the way she had been originally going, it was break and she wanted to go and find Rai to talk a few things over with him, she groaned and turned again when the harsh pull to her sweater gave a bit too much pressure to her chest, she faced the girl again, her face questioning. She blinked and waited patiently for an answer, sighing mentally she contemplated turning to walk away but was cut short as a pale hand shot out to slap her cheek bone, she stared to the side now, her mouth slightly open in shock, she whipped her head around and slapped Salima back fiercely, only getting pushed to the floor for it.

Mao hissed and swiped a leg out to take Salima's from under her, the girl lunged at her and straddled her as her hand came in contact with her cheek once again, she shrieked quietly and scratched the others' cheek with her sharp nails, punches and kicks were soon traded between the two as they rolled along the cold flooring of the hallway. There were various cheers and gasps amongst the crowd that had gathered but both girls could only hear the blood pumping through their ears heavily, Mao growled cattishly and struggled heavily to get out of the girls grasp, she threw a punch and hit Salima in the nose, said girl screamed and hit back with a punch to the stomach. Mao blinked and was suddenly freed before being jerked backwards, she and the other female both being held tightly by the arms by teachers, the staff turned them both and shoved them off in opposite direction with a few stern words before shooing the crowd then leaving.

The dark rose haired girl went outside and walked around in search of Rai, the icy wind was biting at the few cuts across her face and making them sting. She smiled and walked over to him, only managing to offer a short greeting before he questioned her over her appearance, she sighed somewhat dramatically and went into a long explanation of everything that had happened in the class, Rai's expressions going from confused to angry and then on to furious, she planted her hands atop his shoulders to stop him from going to talk to Rei or Salima, she didn't want any trouble than what had already happened.

They both trudged towards their next class once the bell rang again, it seemed as though they were in the same one third period, maths apparently, they both groaned inwardly, mathematics was both boring and not their best subject under any circumstances. They both entered and took their seats after grabbing books from the teacher once again, both their bags now feeling as if they held bricks instead of books. Time seemed to fly through the day and soon enough it was the end of dinner, Mao had walked off in advance to find her class and Rai was starting on his way to his own, halfway there he ran into Rei quite literally, getting a smile from the long haired male, responding with a snarl.

"What gives Rai?"

Lee only growled and sent a punch to Rei's mouth, the boy staggered back and his eyes formed slits, he didn't want to fight, and didn't know why the other had initiated one but he fought back none the less, throwing fluid punches and kicks at the lion bearer who dodged and matched him move for move, though occasionally one would get in a hard hit to the other in some place. The fight continued until Rei took a few hops backwards to ask why this was happening, Rai, unwilling to talk, turned and started walking away, bag slung over his shoulder. He turned his head and licked his bloodied lip before speaking to Rei with a lot of venom injected into his tone.

"I hope you're happy. You've hurt Mao all over again…"

Rei had stared after him, clueless over everything, before going to clean himself up, upon finishing he went to class and noticed that the girl he had supposedly hurt was there, a few seats left of his own, he told the teacher a lie of his absence and took his seat, gazing sidelong at the female who was working hard, it seemed she hadn't noticed him but he couldn't really say. He was surprised that the teacher had believed his story of being attacked by a cat, on school grounds none the less, but he was glad for it. The lesson seemed to whiz by for the two neko-jin and the end bell finally rang, signalling everyone could go home, Mao got to her feet and left as fast as she could to avoid confrontation with the black haired male, she had seen him and had tried to hold back her sadness as best she could, it had worked for her, she found Rai after a bit of searching and the two headed off home in the cold to do their homework and gleefully go to sleep.


End file.
